Captain America comes of age...

We've had the new trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier for a few days now.  In case you haven't seen it yet though, here it is...

You may notice the new outfit worn by Steve Rogers.  There was always going to be a certain amount of redesign going on for the new film.  Though for me it signifies something of a theme that I feel to be running through the trailer.

Think back to Captain America: The First Avenger with Rogers sporting the red, white and blue of his nation's flag.  Some found the film as a whole jingoistic, and whilst I'm one for finding patriotic chest beating in films nauseating (the flag against the building in The Amazing Spiderman being a prime example), if you can't do it in CAPTAIN AMERICA when can you?! 

Now back to The Winter Soldier trailer and Rogers' new outfit.  Gone are the patriotic colours, replaced by more muted, darker colours.  Only the silver star remaining across his chest.  We also have Robert Redford's character telling Rogers, "to build a better world, sometimes means tearing the old one down...and that makes enemies".  Immediately following this we cut to Nick Fury walking into a room.  This may well be a completely different scene, but add this together with several shots of Rogers looking pensive, thoughtful and uttering the line "I joined S.H.I.E.L.D to protect people" and it looks like you have Rogers considering who his enemies really are?  We know that Rogers had concerns with S.H.I.E.L.D and their development of Hydra weapons in Avengers Assemble, so we already have an element of distrust there.  Gone are the days of World War 2 when it was everyone vs. The Nazis.  The Winter Soldier I hope gives us chance to further explore the complex modern day world of technology and terrorism that Rogers now finds himself in.  A time when the enemy isn't so clearly defined.  All of this will ultimately bring to the fore the characteristic of Captain America that I love best.  He's just a man.  He remembers what it's like to be the little guy, and that's who he's trying to protect, regardless of who that puts him up against.

We haven't even said anything about The Winter Soldier himself yet!  It remains to be seen how true to the Winter Soldier storyline they keep.  The basic idea is straight forward enough to not necessarily need much tinkering with.  If you keep watching until the very end of the trailer, you'll see one thing's for certain.  The Winter Soldier is a bad ass.  In pursuit of The Winter Soldier, Captain America throws himself out of a window onto a rooftop.  He then follows it up with his signature shield throw, and The Winter Soldier simply turns round and catches it out of the air.

April 2014 can't come quick enough...

Pirates invade Hollywood...

...Only this is the kind of piracy that Hollywood, and the rest of us for that matter, won't mind seeing more of.

**Spoilers ahead**

It seems like a strange thing to say, but for those of you who have seen Captain Phillips, it's a sentiment I'm sure you'll agree with.

This is in no small part down to a truly magical performance from Tom Hanks.  Who once again shows us why he is one of Hollywood's greats.  The sequence at the end once Captain Phillips has been saved and is aboard the Navy ship is one of the most moving pieces of cinema I have seen for quite a while.  Add to it the way the medic is continually talking to him to keep him focused, it adds a visceral level of realism to proceedings.

This feeling of realism stood out from the very beginning with the distinct lack of title music and opening titles.  Follow this up with some Paul Greengrass signature close camera work, and a brilliant supporting cast alongside Tom Hanks, and I was immersed.

The real beauty of the film though, comes after the end credits.  It may be 15 minutes later, in the bar sharing a drink with friends.  Maybe it's an hour or two, after the drive home.  Sat on the sofa with a cup of tea and a biscuit.  For me it was the latter.  I was marvelling at the themes of the film, and how they changed and shifted from character to character.  Was it really possible to feel sorry for the pirates?

There's a point in the film when Captain Phillips, in a conversation with Muse, says, "we all got bosses".

This quote is one that got me thinking the most.  It's also one that signifies the films intention to not paint the Somali pirates with the 'axis of evil' brush.  Something that I think it does very well.  There are scenes on the Somali pirate boat, that with the addition of a big glass table some suits and ties, could take place in any number of corporate offices around the world.  The real evil in the film is the one we don't see.  Or the one you only hear on a radio, or a telephone, issuing commands.  Distantly disconnected from the situation and in relative comfort.  The Somali Warlord who isn't getting his hands dirty, or the commanding officer instructing the warship captain to take any means necessary to stop the pirate vessel from reaching the shore.  The film is full of people facing a morale struggle with choices that aren't their own.

Captain Phillips is a superb film.  Relevant and allegorical, with some brilliant acting.  I look forward to watching a film that contains a lead acting performance to threaten Tom Hanks for the Oscar.